The have-a-go hero who attempted to stop a suspected knife attacker escaping from the scene of a stabbing has been revealed as Valentine Simatchenko, who served as a police officer in St Petersburg.

Valentine Simatchenko, 55, attempts to trip a knife-wielding man as he flees the scene of a stabbing in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on Monday (Picture: Getty)

Mr Simatchenko was reluctant to accept any praise for his actions after his identity was revealed, dismissing his brave actions as ‘nothing’.

The image of the 55-year-old putting himself in danger to take down a knife-wielding teenager was captured on Monday evening as the annual two-day event in west London came to a close, and made headlines the following morning.

Burdened with shopping bags and a camera, Mr Simatchenko made an attempt to trip a young suspect fleeing as a bloodied man staggered in the background and the police looked on nearby, seemingly slower to react.

The modest hero did not even mention his intervention to his family, who found out about his actions on the newspaper front pages the next morning.

He told The Sun: ‘All I wanted was to help the police. I was annoyed he got away. I wish I was younger and [had] been able to grab hold of him.’

Mr Simatchenko was born in the Ukraine before moving to Russia, where he served as a police officer for around five years.

His Russian wife, Marina, a nurse, said her husband’s training led him to act almost subconsciously.

She told The Telegraph: ‘He worked as a policeman in St Petersburg in the past and such behaviour would have come naturally to him.’

The stabbing victim, Rio Andre, 20, a Hertfordshire University student, remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

A 16-year-old suspect appeared at West London youth court on Wednesday accused of GBH with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was remanded in custody until September 28th.

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